Herbal cancer cures deserve recognition

Published August 16. 2014 12:01AM

Eric R. Straub East Lyme

Alice Facente's article, "How to talk to someone fighting cancer" (Aug. 12), provided sage guidance for coping with a terrible disease that takes thousands of lives every day. Exhaustive efforts have been made toward finding cures for the myriad forms of cancer. Many good people extend their compassion and energy towards those goals; they are worthy of support.

The established protocols of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are presented as the pinnacle of cancer therapy. While there has been progress in the sanctioned fight against cancer, one may ask: has the whole story been told about this illness and the financial and political ramifications surrounding it?

One such forgotten account is that of Harry Hoxsey, a Texas businessman and former coal miner who lived from 1901-1974. His life reads like a novel. He started his first cancer clinic in Illinois in 1924. He used an herbal remedy passed down from his great-grandfather. Eventually, 17 states had Hoxsey Clinics in operation for almost four decades. Despite a cure rate of approximately 80 percent and near-unanimous acclaim, his clinics were shuttered by the AMA and the FDA. For more information, the documentary "Cancer - The Forbidden Cures" can be seen online.